Daniel 4:30 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Daniel 4:30 kjv
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
Daniel 4:30 nkjv
The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"
Daniel 4:30 niv
he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"
Daniel 4:30 esv
and the king answered and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?"
Daniel 4:30 nlt
As he looked out across the city, he said, 'Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.'
Daniel 4 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dan 2:20-21 | "...He removes kings and sets up kings; he changes times and seasons..." | God's absolute sovereignty over earthly rulers. |
| Dan 2:37-38 | "You, O king, the King of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom..." | Acknowledging God as the source of Nebuchadnezzar's power. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | A foundational principle illustrated here. |
| Prov 18:12 | "Before destruction a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." | The consequence of pride for an individual. |
| Isa 14:12-15 | "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star... You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven...'" | Lucifer's pride as a parallel for self-exaltation. |
| Jer 9:23-24 | "Let not the wise man boast... but let him who boasts boast in the Lord." | A call to redirect all boasting to God alone. |
| Gen 11:4 | "Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city... and make a name for ourselves...'" | Echoes the hubris of the builders of Babel. |
| 1 Sam 2:3 | "Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth..." | Warning against arrogant, self-glorifying speech. |
| Oba 1:3-4 | "The pride of your heart has deceived you... though you soar aloft like the eagle..." | Illustrates divine humbling of the highly self-assured. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | "...no, from the east or west or south come promotion. But it is God who judges..." | God is the sole dispenser of power and position. |
| Job 22:29 | "For God humbles the proud." | Direct statement of God's action against the arrogant. |
| Isa 2:11-17 | "The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled..." | Prophetic vision of universal humbling of humanity. |
| Isa 42:8 | "I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I will not give to another..." | God's unyielding claim to exclusive glory. |
| Isa 48:11 | "My glory I will not give to another." | Reiterates God's resolve concerning His unique glory. |
| Lk 18:14 | "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." | New Testament teaching on humility and pride. |
| Jam 4:6 | "...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." | A clear articulation of God's posture towards pride. |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud...'" | Application of the principle to Christian conduct. |
| Rom 11:36 | "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever." | Ultimate theological declaration of all glory belonging to God. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | "Therefore God has highly exalted him... that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." | The Father's exaltation of the humble Son. |
| 1 Cor 1:29-31 | "...so that no human being might boast in the presence of God... 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" | Boasting is appropriate only when it glorifies God. |
| Rev 18:7 | "As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment..." | Echoes of Babylon's pride applied to a spiritual Babylon in the end times. |
| 2 Chron 26:16 | "But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction." | King Uzziah's pride-fueled downfall. |
Daniel 4 verses
Daniel 4 30 meaning
Nebuchadnezzar, in a moment of unbridled self-exaltation, looks upon the monumental city of Babylon and explicitly credits its grandeur, construction, and its function as his imperial capital entirely to his own strength and for his own renown. He completely omits any mention of the divine source of his power and authority, instead positioning himself as the sole architect of his impressive achievements. This audacious declaration of human pride and self-sufficiency serves as the immediate catalyst for the prophesied divine judgment, as the king refused to learn the lesson of God's sovereignty.
Daniel 4 30 Context
Daniel chapter 4 details King Nebuchadnezzar's own written account of his dream, its interpretation by Daniel, and its eventual fulfillment. The dream depicted a mighty tree that reached to heaven, then was cut down, signifying Nebuchadnezzar's removal from power and temporary descent into madness until he recognized God's supreme authority. Daniel interpreted this dream for the king, urging him to renounce his sins and humble himself before God to avert judgment. A full twelve months passed after the warning, during which the king apparently remained unrepentant and continued in his proud ways. Standing upon the lavish roof of his palace, overlooking the splendor of his capital city, Nebuchadnezzar made the boastful statement found in Daniel 4:30. This declaration marked the climax of his unchecked pride, the exact moment his hubris crystallized into explicit defiance of God, triggering the prophesied judgment precisely as warned in his dream.
Daniel 4 30 Word analysis
- The king declared, "Is not this...": (Aramaic: 'anā malkā' 'tov ūmēr' halā') Nebuchadnezzar takes personal ownership of the statement. The rhetorical interrogative "Is not this...?" (halā') is an emphatic self-affirmation, signaling a boast rather than a genuine question, indicating a heart brimming with pride. It reflects an immediate moment of self-absorption, blinding him to past divine warnings.
- great Babylon, which I have built: (Aramaic: Babhel rabbetāh’ dī 'anā bneythā')
- rabbetāh' (great): This adjective signifies immense size, opulence, and significant power, aligning with historical descriptions of Babylon's grand architectural and defensive structures under Nebuchadnezzar II.
- dī 'anā bneythā' (which I have built): The direct, first-person "I" ('anā) is pivotal. While historically accurate that Nebuchadnezzar oversaw extensive rebuilding, attributing it solely to himself, without acknowledging any divine favor or power, underscores his self-reliance and disregard for God (cf. Dan 2:37-38). This specific claim acts as the direct provocation for divine intervention.
- by my mighty power: (Aramaic: bimhelyî teqiphūthī)
- mhelyî (my power/might) and teqiphūthī (my strength/power): This employs two distinct Aramaic terms that combine to intensify the meaning of his own potent and formidable strength. It explicitly claims personal physical and political potency as the sole engine behind Babylon's magnificence, removing any notion of supernatural assistance or grace.
- as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?: (Aramaic: lĕbēth malkhū' wĕlîqār yiqqartî)
- lĕbēth malkhū' (as a royal residence): This highlights that the building's purpose was to serve as the seat and symbol of his supreme monarchical authority, consolidating his status and reign. It indicates his personal dominion.
- wĕlîqār yiqqartî (and for the glory of my majesty): Lîqār denotes honor, splendor, and value, while yiqqartî speaks to his royal dignity and magnificence. This phrase profoundly underscores the entirely self-serving purpose behind his prideful declaration – the sole intent being his personal glorification, not the welfare of his people or honor to a higher power.
- Words-group Analysis:
- "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built...": This initial segment introduces the subject of his pride—the city—and immediately attributes its creation to his personal efforts. It exemplifies a common human tendency to view impressive achievements as solely the product of one's own skill and exertion, neglecting external influences, particularly divine ones. This also highlights how quickly one can forget God's prior mercies and warnings in the face of perceived success.
- "...by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?": This concluding section provides the twin pillars of Nebuchadnezzar's pride: the source of his achievement ("my mighty power") and its ultimate purpose ("for the glory of my majesty"). The emphatic, triple self-referencing language (I, my, my) paints a picture of extreme egocentrism and hubris, demonstrating a king who believed he was utterly self-made and deserved all credit. It stands in direct defiance of the truth that "the Most High rules the kingdom of mankind" (Dan 4:25).
Daniel 4 30 Bonus section
The specific Aramaic construction used by Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:30 emphasizes his absolute claim. By stating "I built" ('anā bneythā') in this emphatic manner, he rejects the standard Mesopotamian royal practice of attributing success and building projects to their gods (Marduk, Nabu, etc.) as a way to legitimate their rule. This stark omission in the biblical account highlights the stark contrast between Nebuchadnezzar's human pride and the true divine sovereignty that Daniel's narrative constantly underscores. It effectively removes any intermediaries, setting up a direct confrontation between Nebuchadnezzar's perceived omnipotence and the Almighty God. The text implicitly argues that Nebuchadnezzar, in that moment, had chosen to see himself as his own god.
Daniel 4 30 Commentary
Daniel 4:30 presents Nebuchadnezzar's pinnacle of unrepentant pride and self-exaltation. Despite a powerful dream and Daniel's explicit warning to humble himself and acknowledge God's sovereignty, the king chose instead to publicly credit his monumental achievements and Babylon's splendor solely to his own strength and for his own glory. This moment is not merely a historical account of a king's boast, but a profound theological illustration: God will not share His glory with another, nor will He permit human arrogance to go unaddressed when His supreme rule is denied. Nebuchadnezzar's speech became the exact trigger for his predicted judgment, demonstrating that pride ultimately leads to a fall. It underscores that true wisdom lies in acknowledging God as the source of all power, ability, and accomplishment, giving Him all the glory. For the Christian, it serves as a sober reminder to cultivate humility and always attribute blessings and success to God's grace, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jam 4:6).